The Premier League season is edging toward its climax, with a host of clubs battling to secure places in the UEFA Champions League (UCL), UEFA Europa League (UEL) and UEFA Conference League (UCoL).
Yet there are a whole host of clauses and considerations that could affect where the places go.
First of all, the Premier League will have five teams in the UCL next season after it secured one of the extra places for performance by clubs across the three competitions.
But what happens to the places reserved for the domestic cups?
And what does it mean if any English clubs lift a European trophy?
Here’s your guide to European qualification in the Premier League.
This article will be updated through to the end of the season as more details emerge.
What’s the usual allocation for the Premier League?
At the start of every season, the Premier League’s European allocation is:
Champions League: Places 1-4
Europa League: 5, FA Cup winners
Conference League: Carabao Cup winners
But now there’s an extra place in the Champions League?
The two leagues with the best set of collective results in European competition get a fifth team in the Champions League through the European Performance Spots (EPS).
It was confirmed on April 8 — through Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Real Madrid — that the Premier League will get one of the two EPS.
The extra place goes to fifth in the league.
For the final positions in the 2024-25 season, to qualify for Europe the positions are now:
Champions League: 1-5 (Liverpool are confirmed)
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners
Conference League: Carabao Cup winners
However, there are a host of factors that could change this.
What does Newcastle winning the Carabao Cup mean?
Newcastle United are guaranteed a place in the Conference League after they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final on March 16.
So that makes the allocation:
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners
Conference League: Newcastle United as Carabao Cup winners
However, where Newcastle finish in the table could impact the allocation.
If the Magpies qualify for the Champions League or the Europa League, the Conference League place transfers to the Premier League.
So, if Newcastle finish in the top six, as it stands the Conference League place passes to seventh.
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners
Conference League: 7
This is now looking very possible as Newcastle are in fourth place but with only a three-point gap to Villa in seventh.
There’s influence from the FA Cup, too.
How about the FA Cup?
There are two teams left in the FA Cup, with Crystal Palace playing Manchester City in the final on Saturday, May 17. (stream live on ESPN+ in the U.S.)
The winners of the competition qualify for the Europa League.
If Palace (12th) win the FA Cup, then the league places will be unaltered:
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, Crystal Palace as FA Cup winners
Conference League: Newcastle United as Carabao Cup winners
But if Man City win the FA Cup and finish in the top six, the place for the FA Cup transfers to seventh in the league:
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, 7
Conference League: Newcastle United as Carabao Cup winners
However, if both Newcastle and the winners of the FA Cup finish inside the top seven, a Europa League place goes to seventh and the allocation for the Conference League is given to eighth:
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, 7
Conference League: 8
It’s still possible that Man City could finish seventh. However, if Man City finish seventh that means Newcastle will be in the top six — so the Conference League place would still go to eighth.
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, Man City as FA Cup winners in 7th
Conference League: 8
What happens to the EPS if a Premier League team wins a European competition?
The EPS is applied after all considerations related to the winners of domestic cups and the three European competitions.
In all circumstances, the EPS provides a plus-1 to a league’s allocation — so the Premier League will have eight teams minimum irrelevant of anything else.
What’s the maximum number of teams in the Champions League?
Seven:
The top four spots (4)
The extra place for the EPS (1)
The winners of the Champions League (1)
The winners of the Europa League (1)
The winners of the UCL and UEL would have to finish outside the top four to create the extra UCL allocation.
What if Arsenal win the Champions League?
If Arsenal (second) win the Champions League and finish inside the top four (the latter of which is almost certain), the places are unaltered. The spot in the Champions League reserved for the holders, which Arsenal would not need, goes to the highest-ranked team in the playoff round.
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners
Conference League: Newcastle United as Carabao Cup winners
For illustration purposes, if Arsenal win the Champions League and finish fifth, the Premier League would have six teams in the Champions League (the top four, the EPS and Arsenal) and it would surrender the place in the Europa League designated for Arsenal by league position. Only the FA Cup winners would play in the UEL.
Champions League: 1-6
Europa League: FA Cup winners
Conference League: Newcastle United as Carabao Cup winners
If Arsenal finished sixth, the Premier League would have a ninth team in Europe, as they would not — as it stands — be in a domestic European place. Once the EPS is applied the Europa League place passes over Arsenal to seventh.
Champions League: 1-5, Arsenal as UCL winners
Europa League: 7, FA Cup winners
Conference League: Newcastle United as Carabao Cup winners
Yet this can all be complicated by the final position of Newcastle and/or the FA Cup winners, which would push qualification down a place or two.
For instance, if Newcastle United finish inside the top five, plus Arsenal finish sixth and win the UCL. Arsenal would now be in the Conference League place, which is surrendered. However, once the EPS is applied this sends the Europa League spot to eighth.
Champions League: 1-5, Arsenal as UCL winners (6)
Europa League: 8, FA Cup winners
Conference League: —
But if Man City win the FA Cup winners and finish inside the top six, and Arsenal finish fifth or sixth, it’s a place in the Europa League which is surrendered. Yet the EPS still pushes one Europa League place to seventh, and the Conference League to eighth.
Champions League: 1-5, Arsenal as UCL winners (6)
Europa League: 7
Conference League: 8
What if a Premier League team wins the Europa League?
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are both in the semifinals of the Europa League, with the winners earning a place in the Champions League for next season.
Neither team will finish in a European position domestically, therefore either team winning the UEL would provide a ninth team in Europe, and six in the Champions League.
Champions League: 1-5, Man United/Tottenham as UEL winners
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners
Conference League: Newcastle United as Carabao Cup winners
If Arsenal also were to win the UCL and finish outside the top four, this would mean seven Premier League teams in the Champions League.
Champions League: 1-5 or 6, Arsenal as UCL winners, Man United/Tottenham as UEL winners
What if Chelsea win the Conference League?
This could prove crucial for one Premier League club, as it’s Chelsea’s performance in the Conference League, coupled with their final league position, which has the greatest chance to benefit another team (more detail on this in a later section.)
Chelsea sit in fifth place, three points ahead of seventh-placed Villa.
By rights, the winners of the Conference League get a place in the Europa League. If Chelsea lift the trophy and finish inside the top five, there will be no change to the allocation.
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners
Conference League: Newcastle United
If Chelsea win the Conference League and finish sixth, the Premier League gets an extra team in the Europa League, and nine in Europe. Once the EPS is applied, the Europa League place originally for fifth goes to the team in seventh.
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 7, FA Cup winners, Chelsea as UCoL winners
Conference League: Newcastle United as Carabao Cup winners
However, if Newcastle finish inside the top five, thus passing the Conference League place to sixth and Chelsea finish in that place, the Premier League surrenders the berth in the Conference League and Chelsea play in the Europa League. Again, the UEL place makes a jump and goes to seventh. The Premier League would have three teams in the UEL and eight in Europe.
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 7, FA Cup winners, Chelsea as UCoL winners
Conference League: —
Now let’s add to the last scenario Newcastle and Man City as FA Cup winners finishing inside the top six, with Chelsea sixth. There is no change to the Europa League allocation, as Chelsea in sixth have finished in a domestic UEL qualifying position. The EPS still sends a Europa League place to seventh, and the Conference League place to eighth.
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, 7
Conference League: 8
How 11 Premier League clubs could qualify for Europe — but not this season
Each European titleholder is guaranteed a place in Europe. As above, if any team finishes in a European place domestically, there is no additional place. However, if a team does not qualify from domestic competition, it’s an extra spot for the titleholders on top of the league allocation — even if all three were to do so.
So that means it’s possible, though highly improbable, for the Premier League to have 11 teams in Europe, including the EPS.
Champions League: 1-5, UCL winners, UEL winners
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners, UCoL winners
Conference League: Carabao Cup winners
Realistically the maximum in Europe is 10 this season?
Yes, because it would be quite the collapse for Arsenal not to finish in a domestic European place. Or in fact the top four.
For 10 to qualify, it would require Man United or Tottenham to win the UEL, plus Chelsea the Conference League and finish outside the top six:
Champions League: 1-5, Man United/Tottenham as UEL winners
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners, as Chelsea as UCoL winners
Conference League: Newcastle United as Carabao Cup winners
If Newcastle were to finish in the top six, or the FA Cup winners do so, that shifts the places down by one or two.
How eighth could qualify for the Europa League by league position
For clubs hovering around eighth in the table, the performance of Chelsea is going to be very important. They are the only team who could win a European title and finish in a position to cause this drop down.
We need to assume Newcastle United and Man City as winners of the FA Cup have finished inside the top six.
This is the allocation before the EPS:
Champions League: 1-4
Europa League: 5, 6
Conference League: 7
Chelsea win the Conference League and finish seventh — they sit three points ahead of this place right now. Chelsea would play in the Europa League, and the Premier League would give up Chelsea’s place in the Conference League.
Champions League: 1-4
Europa League: 5, 6, Chelsea as UCoL winners (7)
Conference League: –
Add the EPS, and everything moves down one place — but the Europa League place for 6th position jumps over Chelsea and is given to eighth.
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, Chelsea as UCoL winners (7), 8
Conference League: –
Hypothetical: How ninth, 10th and 11th could qualify for Europe
This is like the previous scenario, the difference being the European titleholder finishes in the first place outside the European positions.
For this to happen a European title winner would need to finish eighth. This cannot happen this season.
So, the Conference League winners finish in eighth place — one below the Conference League spot. Chelsea play in the Europa League as Conference League winners, and the Premier League has eight teams in Europe.
Champions League: 1-4
Europa League: 5, 6, UCoL winners (8)
Conference League: 7
Now the EPS is applied with fifth in the UCL, and as this creates the plus-1 in all scenarios there are now nine teams in Europe. The European places drop down one, but as Chelsea already have a place in the Europa League, the Conference League spot “jumps” over them and goes to ninth.
Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, 7, UCoL winners (8)
Conference League: 9
The same EPS logic can be applied to push the allocation down two or three places in the league.
It requires multiple European titleholders to be in consecutive places outside the domestic spots, to create two or three “jumps.”
This is the effect of two teams winning European titles and finishing eighth and ninth — 10th gets the Conference League spot after the EPS is applied.
Champions League: 1-5, UEL winners (9)
Europa League: 6, 7, UCoL winners (8)
Conference League: 10
Add in the UCL winners finishing in a consecutive place, and 11th gets the Conference League.
Champions League: 1-5, UCL winners (8), UEL winners (10)
Europa League: 6, 7, UCoL winners (9)
Conference League: 11
